Interior covering structure for rooms and method of applying the same



Feb. 28, 1928. 1,661,078

T. J. MELL INTERIOR COVERING STRUCTURE FOR ROOMS AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME Filed O0t.l9, 1925 gull,

' Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES I'OD J. HELL, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. GOODRICH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK.

INTERIOR COVERING STRUCTURE FOR BOOKS AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAMEK Application filed October-19, 1825. Serial No. 63,851.

patterned floor covering and the walls, to'

- provide a wall-base covering adapted to lessen the appearance of' inequality in the widths of the floor-covering border.

In" accomplishing these objects I employ sheet rubberor the like as a base-covering in combination with fastening means adapted to-cover scams or margins of the sheet material, and to coact therewith, by sealing against the resilient and deformable surface of the material, to exclude dirt from the seams and to prevent unsightly crevices. I provide fastening members adapted to be simply and securely anchored in place at the angles of the walls and at the same time to fit resiliently against the base covering at their margins.

The deformable sheet material of the basecovering is preferably formed integral with a covering for a portion of the floor, so that no horizontal seam occurs along the junction of the wall with the floor,'and this construction is especially suitable for use upon a wall having a coved too or base portion oining the floor at an obtuse angle such as to facili tate the removal of dirt from the corner of v wall also makes less apparent any difi'erence the two and such as to make a sharp bend or angle in the covering material unnecessary. Forming the wall-base covering integrally and of the same color or design with a floorcovering border portion and avoiding a sharp angle at the junction of the floor and of Fig. 1, of the floor, wall and covering structure.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3. of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, sheets 10, 10, of rubber or the like, are applied to the base' portions of the walls A, B, and C, and along their upper margins are clamped in place by finishing strips 11, 11, of metal or other suitable material, said strips being secured by screws 12, 12,.driven through the plaster, 13, and into the lath, 14, 14. The finishing strips 11 are preferably so formed as to press tightly along their lower margins against the respective sheets 10, the resilience of the material of the latter causing it to conform to the finishing strip and thus provide a contin uous fit along the strip.

At the junction of the sheets --10 in a recess corner, as at the junction of the walls 'A and B, the vertical seam is covered and the vertical margins of the sheets 10 are clamped against the respective walls by a finishing member or plate 15 drawn into the corner by screws 16, 16, which are driven, preferably in a plane bisecting the angle of the walls, into the wall structure, the plate being so formed as to fit into the corner at its upper end, above the sheets 10, and to press, but only along its margin, against both of the adjacent sheets lO-by reason of its movement into the corner, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

At a projecting corner, as at the junction of the Walls B and C, the vertical seam of the sheets 10 is covered and the vertical margins of the sheets are clamped against the respectivewalls by 'a finishing member or plate 17 drawn up by screws 18, 18, which are driven into the wall structure, this-plate being so formed as to fit against the walls at its upper end and to press, but only along its margin, against both of the adjacent sheets 10 as it is drawn onto the corner of the wall structure by the setting up of the screws 18.

The base-covering sheets 10 are preferably formed integrally with r ective portions 10, .10, adapted to lief horizontally upon the floor 19 of the room to constitute a border for the central or main floor-covering 20. Thus the seams 21, 21, between the border portions 10 and the main floor covering 20, occur at a distance from the walls and not in angles of the floor and walls. This permits easy and close fitting of the seams and provides'aj continuous, seamless covering from the seam 21 up onto the vertical wall, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The angle at the junction of the floor and wall is preferably filled with a concave molding or'cove 22 (Fig. 2) underlying the sheet Ill-'10, to avoid a sharp angle in the latter, and in this case the plates and 17 are preferably formed with margins correspondingly curved at their lower ends and are adapted to. overlie the respective seams throughout the region of the cove 22.

The border portions 10 of the sheets 10,

1 although of different widths because of the border portions 10! of the sheets 10 are preferably secured to the floor 19 by a layer 25 of a suitable adhesive. i V

Accurate cutting of the end margins of the sheets 10, which would be difiicult because of the comparatively great length ofthe cut and because .of the curvature imposed lzy the cove 22, rendered unnecessary, since stantially sealed off from theinterior of the room by the. contact of the margins of the corner plate 15 or 17 with the sheets 10.

The portions 10 and 10 of'the integral sheets are referably of the same color or design, so t at no distinct line of demarcation occurs therein so close to the seam 21 as to accentuate the difference in width of the s aces outside of the main floor covering 20 w ich are filled in by the said portions 10, and especially when such line of demarcation is further avoided by the use of the cove 22. 1 The several advantages obtained will be clear in view of. the statement of objects setout above.

My invention is susceptible of modification within its scope and I do not wholly limit my claims to the specific construction or materials orto the exact procedure'hereiu described.

I claim:

1. A wall-base .covering comprising a sheet of material having substantial deformability and resilience in the direction of the thicknessof the sheet, a' finishing member overlapping a margin thereof, and fastening means holding said member in intimate, deforming contact-with said sheet, the said fastening means being engaged with ese margins are hidden and sub-.

the underlying structure of the wall and adapted for drawing the finishing member against the deformable sheet material.

2.,In combination with walls having surfaces meeting each other to form a corner, a wall covering structure comprising sheet material covering the walls ad acent the corner, a finishing member adapted to fit against the sheet material at opposite sides of the corner, and fastening means adapted to draw the finishing member toward the corner in a direction at substantially equal angles to the walls, the finishing member being so formed as to bear primarily at its margins against the sheet material.

3. In combination with a wall, a covering therefor comprising a sheet ofyrubber, a finishing member overlapping a margin thereof, and fastening means hold' said finishing member to the wall and tfiereby holding the sheet of rubber under such compression between the two as to provide a tight, continuous fit of the rubber and the finishing member along a margin of the latter, the said fastening means being engaged with the underlying structure of the wall and adapted for drawing the finishing member against the sheet of rubber.

4. In combination with a wall, a covering therefor comprising a sheet of material having substantial compressibility and resilience in the direction of the thickness of the sheet,

a finishin member overla pin a margin of the sheet and so formed as? to b ear primarily along one of its margins against the sheets while bearing directly against the wall at another of its margins, and means for holding it to the wall with its first mentioned margin press' the resilient sheet against the wall, the said fastening means being engaged with the underlying structure of the wall and adapted for drawin vthe finishing member against the deforma le sheet material. 9

5. In combination with two walls having surfaces meeting each other to form a corner, awall-covering structure comprising sheet material covering the walls adjacent the corner and having substantial deformability and resilience in the irection of the thickness of the sheet, a finishing member bearing. against the two walls at the corner and overlapping and compressing a margin of the sheet material, and means for hold ng the finishing member to the walls, the said fastening means being engaged with the underlying structure of the wall and adapted for drawing the deformable sheet material.

6. In combination with a floor and a wall rising therefrom, a wall-base covering comprisingflexible sheet material covering the base portion of the wall and extending integrally onto the floor, the said material having substantial compresibility and rethe finishing member against emme siiience in the direction of the thickness of the sheet, a finishing member overlap ing and compressing a margin of the s eet lying against the Wall, and means for holding the finishing member to the wallwith its margin compressing the sheet against the Well.

7. A combination as defined in claim 6 in which the corner formed by the wall and floor is rounded.

8. In combination with a floor and two Walls rising therefrom and meeting each other at an angle to form a corner, flexible, cushioning members of sheet material covering the respective walls adjacent the corner and having portions extending integrally onto the floor, the said portions upon the floor being fitted to each other in a butt seam, the corners formed by the respective walls and the floor being rounded and the said portions extendinng onto the floor being of unequal widths but having strai ht edges meeting each other at the end the butt seam.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of October, 1925..

TOD J. MELL. 

